This application is based on Patent Application No. 2000-3913 filed Jan. 12, 2000 in Japan, the content of which is incorporated hereinto by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an eyeglass frame. More particularly, the invention relates to a rimless eyeglass frame having no rim holding outer peripheries of eyeglass lenses and rimless eyeglasses employing such a frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, rimless eyeglasses have been known in the art as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,344 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-206799 (1998), for example.
The rimless eyeglasses disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,344 include an eyeglass frame having a lens holding portion 1, bows 2, hinge portions 3 provided at joints between the lens holding portion and the bows 2, left and right lenses 4 each having two spaced lens holes 10 formed in the vicinity of upper edge portion thereof, and two U-shaped wires 5, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B. The two U-shaped wires 5 are connected to the lens holding portions 1 of the eyeglass frame at corresponding positions of respective left and right lenses 4 with an offset portion 8 at the center of a connecting piece 6 which connects respective holding pins 9 as both leg portions being connected to each of the lens holding portions. Two holding pins 9 of each U-shaped wire 5 are inserted into plastic bushings 11 of the two lens holes 10. Also, a flat portion of each of the connecting piece 6 is abutted against the front face of the lens 4 so that the left and right lenses are held on the eyeglass frame 4.
On the other hand, eyeglasses disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-206799 (1998) is provided with fixed parts 6A and 6B of elastic members at positions corresponding to the left and right lenses 3 of the eyeglass frame (brow bar) 2, as shown in FIG. 12. One end of the fixed parts 6A and 6B are respectively inserted into bore portions 3a and 3b provided in the vicinity of both upper edge portions of the eyeglass lenses 3. Thus, the upper edge portion of the lens 3 is urged by elastic force of the elastic member onto the eyeglass frame 2 so that the left and right lenses 3 are certainly held by the eyeglass frame.
However, in such conventional rimless eyeglasses, since the eyeglass frame and each of the left and right lenses are secured with each other by connecting at two or more points, deformation caused in the eyeglass frame in response to variation of a distance (open degree) between bows or temples may result in a fluctuation of light axes of the left and right lenses fixed to the eyeglass frame.
Discussing in detail, an eyeglass frame is typically produced adapting to a standard face width of man or woman, and/or adult or child. If the eyeglass frame adapted to the standard face width is used for a wearer having a greater face width than the standard width, a distance between the bows is increased to cause intersection of the light axes of the left and right lenses. Accordingly, in such a case, in order to adapt the light axes of the left and right lenses and visual axes of the wearer, it becomes necessary to perform troublesome adjustment operations for deforming the eyeglass frame or for varying a mounting angle of the lenses to the eyeglass frame. Furthermore, if deformation such as increasing of distance between bows may be caused by repeated wear or other reason, fluctuation of the light axis of the lens may be caused in the conventional frame.
On the other hand, as another problem, it is required to process steps in forming at least two lens holes or hole portions in each of the left and right lenses. Furthermore, it is quite difficult work even for a skilled specialist to form these two lens holes at accurate position adapting to wearer or the like of astigmatic vision.
The present invention has been worked out in view of the problems in the prior art set forth above. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rimless eyeglass frame and rimless eyeglasses which are not affected by a face width of a wearer of eyeglasses or deformation of the frame during use, and do not require any adjusting operation or even required, an adjustment operation can be simple.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided rimless eyeglass frame comprising: a wire form frame member having opposite end portions and extending toward left and right; and a pair of lens holding means arranged at a center portion of the frame member for holding lenses; wherein the frame member is to be in non-contact with upper edges of the lenses.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided rimless eyeglasses comprising: left and right lenses; a wire form frame member having opposite ends and extending toward left and right; a pair of lens holding means, arranged at center portion of the frame member, for holding the left and right lenses at positions in the vicinity of inner edge portions thereof; and wherein the frame member is in non-contact with upper edge portions of the left and right lens.
It should be noted that, in the present invention, xe2x80x9ca frame member and an upper edge portion of a lens are in non-contact with each otherxe2x80x9d is used to mean to include not only that xe2x80x9cthe frame member and the upper edge portion of the lens are held out of contact with each other when no external force is exerted on the frame memberxe2x80x9d, but also a slight contact between the frame member and the upper edge portion of the lens due to deformation of the frame member during in use, provided that the slight contact does not cause variation of the light axes of the left and right lenses.
With the foregoing construction, even if deformation of the frame member is caused by opening of the bows, the frame member is held in non-contact with the upper edges of the left and right eyeglass lenses so as not to cause variation of the light axes of the lenses. Therefore, no adjustment operation is required.
Here, hinges may be formed at opposite end portions of the frame member, through which bows or temples may be connected to the frame member.
With the construction set forth above, freedom in designing can be increased.
Further, the frame member may be formed with adjusting bent portions at positions between the center portion and the opposite end portions.
With the construction set forth above, adjustment depending upon a height of ears of a wearer or adjustment of fitting force to a face of a wearer and repair of deformation during use become easy. Furthermore, by even these adjustment, a mounting angle of the lenses or the like will not be influenced.
Here, the adjusting bent portion is a U-shaped configuration and both leg portions of the U-shaped adjusting bent portion are preferably arranged to overlap as viewed from a front side.
With the construction set forth above, a neat appearance can be obtained as viewed from a front side providing a fashionable appearance.
Here, the U-shaped bent portion may be arranged over an upper edge portion of the lens. With the construction set forth above, novel designs can be obtained.
Here, the frame member may be formed from one piece wire member and the pair of lens holding means may be connected to the wire member.
Further, the frame member can be formed from left and right wire members and a wire member connecting the left and right wire members, and the lens holding means may be integrally formed with respective center side end portion of the left and right wire members.
Alternately, the lens holding means may be formed with a first U-shaped bent portion and a second U-shaped bent portion continuous with the first U-shaped bent portion, both leg portions of the first U-shaped bent portions may be in contact with an inner edge portion of the lens, and one leg portion of the second U-shaped bent portion may be inserted into a lens hole.
With the construction set forth above, since only one lens hole is required to be formed in the lens, work load in formation of the lens hole can be reduced significantly.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.